NEW YORK CITY – The next “major attack” on the United States is more likely to take place on the Internet rather than in the air, Kirstjen Nielsen, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said Tuesday.
“DHS was founded 15 years ago to prevent another 9/11, but today I believe the next major attack is more likely to reach us online than on an airplane,” Nielsen told hundreds of private sector leaders and government officials at the department’s first summit on cybersecurity in lower Manhattan. “Cyber threats collectively now exceed the danger of physical attacks against us. This is a major sea change for my department and for our country’s security.”
“Don’t get me wrong. Terrorists and criminals still pose a serious threat to our lives, and they are plotting against Americans daily; however, the attack surface in cyberspace is now broader and under more frequent assault,” she added.
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Nielsen said the average person does not grasp the seriousness of cyber threats, referring to the millions of people who have had their credit card data compromised as an example.
“Everyone and everything is a target: individuals, industries, infrastructure, institutions, and our international interests,” Nielsen said. “Our adversaries capability online are simply outpacing our stove-piped defenses.”
In 2017, the U.S reported the most-ever incoming cyberattacks. Approximately half of all Americans had personal information stolen as a result of the massive breach of consumer credit reporting agency Equifax.
Nielsen insisted the U.S. will no longer hesitate to hold foreign adversaries accountable for attempts to intrude in U.S. affairs, but said some consequences would remain unseen from the public and media.
“These incidents are only the beginning,” added Nielsen. “Rogue regimes and hostile groups are probing critical systems worldwide. And without aggressive action to secure our networks, it is only a matter of time before we get hit hard in the homeland.”
On Tuesday morning, DHS rolled out the National Risk Management Center to chief executives from top private sector companies and several Cabinet officials, including Vice President Mike Pence.
[More: Multiple cybersecurity officials to leave FBI amid warnings of continued threats]
